11 civic school students fall sick after drinking

“These students were admitted at about 2:30 pm. The students are being kept under observation for the next two days,” Wadiwala added. The school in Malad’s Kurar Village has about 2,500 students.

Mirza Baig,Deputy Education Officer (Zone II),said,“We have asked for the report of the incident but it will be too soon to say that the students fell sick because of having flavoured milk.”

Malad Corporator Aji Raorane said “the flavoured milk scheme has just begun and we are seeing such incidences”. “The contractor for the scheme should be pulled up for this,” he added.

Rahul Shewale,Standing Committee Chairman,said,“There is no proof that the students fell sick after consuming flavoured milk and until we get the report and find the real reason we should not make allegations.” Mayor Shraddha Jadhav has demanded an inquiry into the matter. More than three months after the start of this year’s academic session,the BMC had started supplying flavoured milk to students of civic schools in September end. The two-year contract for the scheme,worth Rs 240 crore,has been given to contractor Rashtriya Majdoor Madhyavarti Grahak Sahakari Sangh (RMMGS). Under the contract,tetra-pack of 200 ml of milk is given to 4th-7th standard students; and 125 ml milk pack to 1st-3rd standard students.

This is the second time that students have taken ill after consuming flavoured milk provided in BMC schools. In December 2007,34 students of New L G Road Municipal School in Dadar (East) were taken ill after consuming the milk in tetra-packs.